why are "knackers" called "knackers"?

foreignobserver

Does anyone have an explanation?
Also: how would you define/describe a knacker?
My mate (foreign) is writing an article on Dublin social groups [or something along these lines] and asked me to help with this..
Any help much appreciated...

Creamy Goodness

what the **** is a necker?

foreignobserver

Dunno, maybe I did not spell it right?
Well, I meant an urban individual, showing strong preference towards at least 2 out of 3:
-coke
-booze
-a training suit
Neckers/Nackers/Knackers(?) often dwell in flats, speak Tallaghan or a similar flavour of English and intensly look for trouble that they frequently find.
Dublin 8 is full of them, as well.

This is what I meant. Can anyone help with ethymology, description or at least spelling? Any help much appreciated...

Karoma

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knacker

foreignobserver

thanks Karoma...

This helps with the spelling at least. Wikipedian entry is rather modest, actually.

"the term knacker is sometimes used in Ireland to denote an Irish Traveller, though it is considered extremely derogatory. It can also be applied to a rural character equivalent to the urban scanger or scumbag which are both derogatory terms in themselves"

Maybe I do not get this term right? But to me a knacker might be a traveller, but does not have to be. Most knackers I have seen /met were Irish folks from Fatima mansions and the likes.
A spare-change-please coke-addict at Centra or near ATM in Parliament or Dame Street, too. This type. There is nothing rural about knacker as far as I know...

Any further help with ethymology much appreciated. Also hw do you describe a knacker. What picture you have in mind when you hear this word? What can you say about knackers in general? Maybe my perception is false, dont blame me I am foreign for ***'s sake

Pherekydes

foreignobserver wrote: »

Can anyone help with ethymology, description or at least spelling?

foreignobserver wrote: »

Any further help with ethymology much appreciated.

Etymology.

There ya go.

foreignobserver

wow

...

thanks for bumping this thread anyway, slow coach.

"Knackers" - where does the word come from? Can anyone think of any etymology that makes sense? I.e. in urban context, here in Dublin?

Pherekydes

The word knacker is thought to derive from the Norse word 'nacker' meaning saddler. It came to be synonymous with those who dealt in horses, especially those who bought old horses for slaughter, "for the knacker's yard". Since a lot of these horse dealers would have been travellers or Gypsies the word knacker became a byword for such people. Because of the reputation, deserved or not, of the traveller community, especially in Ireland, the word knacker has become a byword for people who behave despicably in general.

That's my theory.

foreignobserver

that makes sense, thanks a lot Slow coach.

seamus

Slow coach wrote: »

The word knacker is thought to derive from the Norse word 'nacker' meaning saddler. It came to be synonymous with those who dealt in horses, especially those who bought old horses for slaughter, "for the knacker's yard". Since a lot of these horse dealers would have been travellers or Gypsies the word knacker became a byword for such people. Because of the reputation, deserved or not, of the traveller community, especially in Ireland, the word knacker has become a byword for people who behave despicably in general.

That's my theory.

Yep, that's exactly it. For a long time, "Knacker" has always been a valid word for travellers, as many of them tended to be in the trade. In the past 30 years, travellers have come to be regarded in this country as the lowest of the low, so the word "knacker" has become synonymous with "dreg of society" and is used to describe anyone who fits that category.

Wishbone Ash

Real 'knackers' are now called "renderers".

pajo65

A spare-change-please coke-addict at Centra or near ATM in Parliament or Dame Street, too. This type. There is nothing rural about knacker as far as I know...

Skanger!

Degsy

pajo65 wrote: »

A spare-change-please coke-addict at Centra or near ATM in Parliament or Dame Street, too. This type. There is nothing rural about knacker as far as I know...

Skanger!

No.These people are not "knackers".Knacker is applied exclusively to travellers or to teh occasional smelly person in school.The people you're talking about are "Junkies","Townies","Scumbags","Skangers","Scobies","hoodies","Dirtbags","Smackheads" or just plain "Scum".

arse..biscuits

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=knacker

Incestuous, boxing, sovereign ring wearing, tracksuited shaven headed scumbags. Girls wear bellytops (Even if they're 15 stone), guys are small, jewelry and violence are rampant. Enjoy having children with sisters, looking at you with squinty eyes and scaring people. In many places refers to SCUMBAGS in general, and good travellers are not covered by the word - depening where you're from.

"C'mear yow, give oos a fooking Yaro boss or I'll fooking box ya" said the knacker.

texas star

I like the word knackers.Did you know that their life span is 45 yrs age.Just some useless info.

arse..biscuits

texas star wrote: »

I like the word knackers.Did you know that their life span is 45 yrs age.Just some useless info.

Apparently if they go to England they don't expire for an extra year or two

studiorat

womoma wrote: »

Answer - Because everyone f**king hates them

I don't, I do hate people like you though.

Gavin "shels"

foreignobserver wrote: »

Dublin 8 is full of them, as well.

And if I may ask, where do you live?

studiorat

Gavin shels wrote: »

And if I may ask, where do you live?

I don't subscribe to this Dub 8 thing, but apparently Cork St. had a few on it back in the day.


Also, Patrick Bergin has a nice poem on the subject:
"I boil down dead horses and turn them into glue, if you give me any trouble I'll do the same to you."

Now, I'm knackered...

Blk150

Every major city on the planet has there knackers:(

Gavin "shels"

studiorat wrote: »

I don't subscribe to this Dub 8 thing, but apparently Cork St. had a few on it back in the day.


Also, Patrick Bergin has a nice poem on the subject:
"I boil down dead horses and turn them into glue, if you give me any trouble I'll do the same to you."

Dublin 8 is full of them in all respect, but there are much worst places in Dublin and Ireland for knackers, e.g. Limerick, Cobh, etc...

D-A-V-E

ya in Limerick a few names we have for them are knackers/nackers, scobes,pikies(although that has a diff meaning too),scumbags,degenerates,hangabouts:D,tinks,nacks etc etc, often associate themselves in deprived areas of cities ie council estates wearing matchin tracksuit top nd bottoms, high hats, loud, very loud, hiper to the extent that you dunno if they have a sindrome or a drug problim, fag in mouth, gold rings EVERYWHERE and of course a redeculously big gold cross..white runners tucked into their pants too!

studiorat

Gavin shels wrote: »

Dublin 8 is full of them in all respect, but there are much worst places in Dublin and Ireland for knackers, e.g. Limerick, Cobh, etc...

Jaysus...
I meant Knackers Yards. WTF?

JP Liz

dictionary meanings for Knacker


1.a person who buys animal carcasses or slaughters useless livestock for a knackery or rendering works. 2.a person who buys and dismembers old houses, ships, etc., to salvage usable parts, selling the rest as scrap. 3.an old, sick, or useless farm animal, esp. a horse. 4. a harness maker; a saddler.

Esel

I hate resurrected threads, but seeing as we're flogging a dead horse anyway....

Possible etymology: Irish (Gaelic) words eacair (horse, pronounced ack-er), eacaire (jockey, person who cares for horses, pronouced ack-er-eh). So, an eacair = the horse, an eacaire = the jockey. An is the Irish/Gaelic definite article 'the', pronounced like English word 'on'.

This is my own theory anyway. Translations above are from the top of my head, don't have dictionaries to hand, and too lazy right now to fetch them.

Now, back to the knacker's yard with this thread!

Wishbone Ash

esel wrote: »

Now, back to the knacker's yard with this thread!

Yes - closed!